English
When we prepare a trip abroad in advance, there´s plenty of daydreaming involved. The expectancies are ever present and that´s because the human being lives in the future a lot. Planning the places we´ll go to, the great time we´ll have and, to summarise, the thrill of the moments before the trip are pretty much all the occupies our mind. However, on a trip, like in any other time in our lives, setbacks are never far away. Losing a suitcase, an airline strike or falling ill are pretty common things and being prepared for them is the key to not frustrate ourselves and be well prepared for it.
For example, if we´re enjoying a few wonderful weeks in Amsterdam and we catch the flu due to the difference in temperature, it´s important to have a doctor´s contact phone at hand to make an appointment, know the hospital addresses and also where the different pharmacies are. The webpage of the Dutch Health Office can be very useful, so writing down all of this information can be of great help. www.government.nl/ministries/vws#ref-minvws
Another good piece of advice for travellers is that if they have a more or less serious and prolonged illness and are also receiving treatment for it, it´s important to have all the paperwork on our state regarding the illness and our medical records given by our doctor, because in case something happens, it´s important that the doctors can have direct and fast access to everything regarding our health. Bear in mind that you might not be able to explain yourself correctly, so you need to add this paperwork to your luggage.
To be served in a normal way in a hospital or a doctor´s surgery, we have to take the necessary documentation, such as our Passport and our European Health Card. We have to take into account that the public health systems change depending on which country we go to but European ID will help us in order to be cared for properly. We might have to pay the doctor who treats us or perhaps the service is free, so we have to have some extra cash at hand in case we do have to pay.
Choosing the centre that we go to properly is also important, hence the relevance of knowing all the public health centres of the city previously, as well as having their addresses and phone numbers written down. If we go to a private doctor, we´ll of course have to pay, and most probably quite a bit. Perhaps we might think that a service is free at first but if we go to a private doctor, when we get home, we´ll get the bill. Some souvenir!
Registering for health insurance will also help us a lot, because everything will be easier and we´ll have the security that all the expenses will be covered.
Travelling to cities like Amsterdam is great, but you have to be prepared for all setbacks. Renting apartments in Amsterdam is also a great idea for accommodation for a few weeks, much cheaper than a hotel!
